Car end construction



G. T. JOHNSON CAR END CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 1, 1930 Nov. 5, 1935 4Sheets-Sheet 1 v F 0 0 fl N a, E v Q? MW N x W a a L s & Q mwmw Nov. 5,193. 5. T. JOHNSON K E CAR END CONSTRUCTION w Filed Oct. 1, 193045heets-Sheet 2 zm m N O S N H O J G CAR END CONSTRUGTION Filed Oct. 1,1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 r G. T. JOHNSON CAR END CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 1,1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Nov. 5, 1935.

Patented Nov. 5, 1935 PATENT OFFICE CAR END CONSTRUCTION George T.Johnson, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to The Buckeye Steel Castings Company,Columbus, Ohio Application October 1, 1930, Serial No. 485,773

6 Claims. (Cl. 105-406) This invention relates to improvements inrailway car ends, and more particularly to a car end construction forfreight cars of the gondola type.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide such cars with hinged enddoors that are pivotally connected at their lower ends to the floor ofthe car in such manner that they may be swung inwardly and downwardly onthe floor to facilitate loading; to permit lengthy articles to projectbeyond the ends of the car; and, where necessary, to allow extremelylengthy articles to extend from one car into an adjacent similar car. Incars of this type, it has been the practice to provide each of the endsills with an upstanding apron against which the lower edge portion ofthe door abuts. As such an apron is subjected to rough usage, itfrequently becomes battered down and weakened, and consequently, the enddoor, when subjected to strong forces, has a tendency to bulge the apronoutwardly, and this is a disadvantage that was tolerated over aconsiderable period of time.

In such cars, the car end was usually constructed almost entirely ofmetal sheets, rolled shapes and pressings held together by rivets, andthe metal corner posts rose from the car underframing and were rivetedthereto. In a closed end car, the ends aresolid walls which not only tiethe car sides together against bulging, but stiffen it as a whole. Onthe other hand, open end cars of the type with which we are dealing,must depend on the intermediate side stake or post construction, and themaster stakes (corner posts) at the ends, to resist the bulging tendencyof the lading, since the end door is not tied to the car sides, exceptby light hand latches. The 'serviceability of the car, therefore,depends to a large extent upon the corner connections between the cornerposts and the under-framing. This corner connection has been a source ofweakness.

' As a matter of fact, it was usually the custom at the ends of open endgondola freight cars, to make the end sill, corner posts, door abutmentapron, coupler striker, etc., of separate metal castings and pressings,and to connect these parts together by rivets or the like, with theresult that strains placed on the parts have a tendency to shear therivets, loosen the parts, or damage the same to such an extent that suchparts become defective, and eventually practically useless for theirintended purposes.

In my prior application Serial No. 322,284, filed November 27, 1928, Ihave disclosed a one-piece 5 car end construction for eliminating thedisadvantages noted, and the present invention relates to improvementsin such car ends.

The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a novel carend construction formed 10 of two main metal castings, especially shapedand connected together to obtain advantages over the constructionsheretofore known- The present construction enables me to dispense withthe end sill because of the rigid connection of 15 the new constructionto the center sill and side sheets.

A further object is to furnish such a construction, a slight alterationof which will enable the same to accommodate either wood floors or steel20 plate floor cars.

With the foregoing objects outlined and with other objects in view whichwill appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in thenovel features hereinafter described in de- 25 tail, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is an elevation of one of the two similar 30 castings which Ihave devised as a car end construction for use with gondola type carshaving wood floors.

Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the same.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the same.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 44 of Fi 1.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but of a modification designed foruse with cars having metal floors. I

Fig. 6 is a top plan view.

Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional View of a detail on the line 88 of Fig.5. 45 In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4inclusive, one of the two main castings which make up the car .end isillustrated,- and it will be understood that a similar casting isarranged at the opposite side of such casting. 5o

Each casting is of L-shape and includes a vertical arm I0 which forms acorner post and a horizontal arm II which takes the place of part of theend sill. These arms are formed by a main L-shaped vertical web I2provided at the outer side with an outwardly extending vertical flangeI3 which merges at its lower end into an outwardly extending horizontalflange I4. Vertical ribs I5 and I6 are positioned on the outer side ofthe horizontal arm, and extend upwardly and downwardly from the flangeI4, and the ribs I5 terminate at their upper ends in a reinforcing beadI! which extends along the upper edge of the horizontal arm.

A latch bracket I8 projects upwardly and outwardly from the upperportion of the web I2, and is reinforced by the flange I 3.

It will be seen from Fig. 1 that the corner of the casting is deepenedfor added strength, and in the corner, below the flange I4, a push polepocket I9 is formed and is joined to the flange by a tie rib 20.

The casting also includes a second outwardly extending edge flange 2Iwhich extends downwardly from the bracket I8 and continues about thepush pole pocket before it terminates adjacent the longest one of theribs I6. Tie ribs 22 connect the flange 2| to the push pole pocket.

Horizontal ribs 23 extend inwardly from the flange I3 to the inner edgeof the arm Ill, and form reinforcements for the corner post.

Directly opposite to the flange I3, the casting is provided on its innerside with an inwardly extending vertical flange 24 that is provided withrivet holes 25. This flange projects downwardly below the horizontalflange I4, and below the latter flange, it is widened as shown at 2B,and this widened portion has rivet holes 21.

A corner post cap 28 covers the angles formed between the flange 24 andthe web I2, andis provided with rivet holes 29.

Directly opposite to the flange I4, at the corner portion of thecasting, an inwardly extending corner bracket 30 is arranged, and thisis connected to the flange 24 and the web I2, and it is provided withrivet holes 3I. I prefer to join one edge of the plate 30 to the web I2by means of a depending rib 32 which is directly in alignment with thelongest one of the ribs IS.

The portion of the web along the horizontal arm II, and which projectsabove the flange I4, forms an apron against which the end gate (notshown) abuts, and apertured ears 33 project inwardly from the web toreceive a hinge pintle of such a gate.

As best shown in Figs. 1 and2, the web at the end of the horizontal armII is offset or rabbeted, as shown at 34, to receive a tie plate 35,which functions to join the adjacent ends of the two castings. Forjoining purposes, the offset portion of the web has rivet holes 36 toreceive rivets used in connecting the casting to the tie plate 35.

Projecting outwardly from the end of the offset portion of the web, is aflange 37 having holes 38 to receive rivets that are employed in joiningthe adjacent flanges 31 of the two castings together.

Between the longest one of the ribs I 5 and the flange 31, thehorizontal flange I4 is projected outwardly as at 39, and thisprojecting portion has holes 40 to receive the rivets which are used toconnect the casting to a separate center sill and striker members 4| and42.

From the foregoing it will be understood that in the presentconstruction, the car end and corner posts are formed of two castingsinstead of one, and the two castings which make a complete end, aresecured to each other and to the usual draft sill construction, by meansof the 5 tie plate and rivets which pass through the holes 36, 38 and40, and the draft sill is made up of the usual striking casting 42 androlled steel center sills 4|, which are separate from the castings. 10By this construction, I am able to dispense. with the end sill becauseof the rigid connection to the center sills 4| and side sheets (notshown) which are riveted to the flange 24. With such a construction, Iemploy diagonal braces (not 15 shown), which are riveted to the integralbrack- 'ets 30, and extend back to the center sill and body bolster.This construction, together with the stiffness and strength of the steelcastings, all make a heavy end sill construction unneces- 20 sary.

The flange I4 and ribs I5 and I6 reinforce the lower part of thecasting. The door apron formed by the lower portion of the casting isreinforced by the ribs I5 and bead I1, and as the offset at 5 34receives the tie plate 35, a smooth surface is presented to the drop-enddoor.

The form of the invention illustrated in Figs.

1 to 4 inclusive is for cars with Wood floors. When steel platefloorsare used, provision must be made 30 for riveting or attaching thefloor plates to the end casting. The construction shown in Figs. 5 to 8inclusive is modified for this purpose, and in this modification, thelower portion of the casting is provided with an inwardly extending 5floor flange 50 having rivet holes 5I. The floor flange is braced bydepending ribs 52 that join the under side of the flange to the verticalweb In this form of the invention, I have not shown corner bracketscorresponding with the bracket 36 of Fig. 2, for with steel floor plate,the diagonal brace connection is not necessary. The other details ofconstruction in Figs. 5 to 8 are about the same as in Figs. 1 to 4inclusive. 7

While I have disclosed what I now consider to be preferred embodimentsof the invention in such manner that the same may be readily understoodby those skilled in the art, I am aware that changes may be made in thedetails disclosed, without departing from the spirit of the invention,as expressed in the claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: Y

1. A car end construction comprising a sub- 5 stantially L-shapedcasting forming a vertical corner post and a horizontal arm, the cornerpost and arm comprising a vertical web and an L-shaped flange, and ribstying said flange to the portion of the web included in the corner post.

2. A one-piece car end casting comprising a corner post and a.horizontal arm, said arm provided at its end with means to facilitateits connection to the similar end of the arm of a like casting, asubstantially L-shaped vertical web forming a part of the post and apart of the arm,

a push pole pocket formed in the web at the point where the post meetsthe arm, flanges arranged partially on the post and partially on thearm, and ribs tying said flanges to the push pole pocket.

3. A one-piece metal car end casting comprising a corner post and ahorizontal arm, and a diagonal brace bracket projecting inwardly fromthe casting at the point where the corner post and arm intersect.

4. A one-piece metal car end casting comprising a corner post and ahorizontal arm, said arm including a vertical web having horizontalflanges on opposite sides thereof, one of said flanges being apertured,and ribs tying said flanges to said Web.

5. A one-piece metal car end casting compris- 10 ing a corner post and ahorizontal arm, and

ing a corner post and a horizontal arm, said arm 5 having a floor flangeprojecting inwardly therefrom and braced by ribs, said corner posthaving I a portion substantially cruciform in horizontal cross section.

GEORGE T. JOHNSON. 10

